Tropical Fruit Crepes

The best part about this dessert, other than the mellow tropical taste, is that you can make the crepes far in advance and freeze them. This crepe batter is lower in fat than traditional recipes, and therefore won’t cook quite the same. They’ll look a little rougher, with lace-like browning. The recipe makes about 14 crepes, but you only need eight. A caramel sauce thinned with apricot nectar bathes the fresh fruit slices, creating a juicy, sweet filling.–Gwen Walters

LC Perplexing Provenance Note

We don’t know how the melding of tropical fruit and Parisian crepe came to be, either. We’re just grateful for it.

Directions

Make the crepes

1. Place the milk, flour, eggs, melted butter, and salt in a blender and purée until smooth. Let the batter rest for 30 minutes at room temperature, or overnight in the refrigerator, in an airtight container.

2. Lightly coat a small nonstick pan or crepe pan with cooking spray and place over medium-low heat.

3. Swirl a scant 1/4 cup (2 fluid ounces) of batter around bottom of the pan, then return the pan to the heat to cook. Watch for tiny pinhole bubbles to break on the surface. Flip when the edges turn golden brown, about 2 minutes. Shake the pan to loosen the crepe or use a small spatula.

4. Cook the other side until golden brown, about another minute. Remove the crepe and reheat the pan before adding more batter. Re-coat with cooking spray after every other crepe, and occasionally stir the batter. The crepes can be made a day or two in advance and can be frozen for up to a month. (If freezing, place each crepe in between a sheet of parchment or wax paper, wrap the stack of crepes with plastic wrap, and place in a resealable plastic bag before freezing. Then simply pull out exactly the number that you need when a craving strikes.)

Make the filling

5. Stir the sugar and water together in a small, high-sided saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, without further stirring, until the sugar is golden brown, about 4 to 6 minutes. Swirl the pan toward the end to promote even coloring. Remove from the heat.

6. Slowly pour the apricot nectar into the hot caramel, a little at a time, to avoid splattering.

7. Return the pan to the heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the nectar dissolves into the caramel, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the butter, and let cool slightly. You can make the filling up to this point 1 day in advance. Store covered in the refrigerator. When ready to serve, gently stir in the mango and papaya slices.

Serve the crepes

8. Place a crepe on a dessert plate. Top with 1 tablespoon of sauce and a slice of papaya and mango.

9. Roll up the crepe and drizzle with a little more fruit syrup. Garnish with a dollop of whipped cream. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and add a sprig of mint. Serve 2 crepes per person.